Thread: Need help

Originally Posted by foundlingofdollar

If your hanging strop has leather and fabric components, the fabric (be it linen or whatever) is rougher to more aggressively "set" the edge. The leather (smoother) side is for finishing the setting and making sure the edge is nice and smooth. You don't need as many passes on the fabric, say perhaps 20 fabric and 30 leather.

With respect to your paddle strop, the green side has probably been treated with an abrasive paste (such as chromium oxide). You can strop on this every few shaves (or whenever the quality of the shave seems to be waning) to "refresh" the sharpness of the blade and go a bit longer between honing. The red side could be a plain leather, or it could be treated with an abrasive paste as well (such as jeweler's rouge). Check to see if the red is consistent across, or if it looks like a red substance has been rubbed into it.

Foundlingofdollaar:
Your welcome made me feel good, thanks. Your information on my strops was very helpful. I have already started using the info. I take it that I am to use the green side on the paddle first then the red side and the same thing on the hanging strop using the linnen side first then the leather. Is there suppose to be something on the linnen, if so I have never put anything on it nor do I have anything to put on it. Await your reply. Again thanks. P.S. I did a little running around Austin when I was stationed at Fort Hood.

If that other side of the paddle is leather without paste, or other stuff on it, you would use green side, linen side, leather. If you have any kind of edge on those razors you were talking about, I bet you could get them nice and sharp. Of course, I suppose it depends on what kind of time and interest in that sort of thing you have on your hands. Sounds like you have a pretty good set up for keeping your razors sharp going though. Maybe get one of the honemeisters to start you out right, then practice with your paddle and strop.

Originally Posted by Utopian

Other questions have already been answered to I will tackle the uneven hone. You need to lap (flatten) it. If you do a search for lapping, you will find plenty of info. You can start with this one.
Good luck getting it all figured out.

Utopian:

Thanks for the nice welcome and the info on flattening my hone. If time permits I will go to Home Depot to get the sandpaper and the tile. Thanks again.

Originally Posted by Ditch Doc

If that other side of the paddle is leather without paste, or other stuff on it, you would use green side, linen side, leather. If you have any kind of edge on those razors you were talking about, I bet you could get them nice and sharp. Of course, I suppose it depends on what kind of time and interest in that sort of thing you have on your hands. Sounds like you have a pretty good set up for keeping your razors sharp going though. Maybe get one of the honemeisters to start you out right, then practice with your paddle and strop.

Ditch Doc;

Thanks for the help. I do use strop dressing on the leather side, or am I suppose to leave it dry?

Originally Posted by Robert Duncan

Jimmy:
Your welcome to SRP really made me feel good and a part of the group. However I do have question. As you probably remember that I have three razors. I need to know which one is the best so I can it restored. First is a DOVO Soligen 1561, next is PUMA 89 Special and finally HOFFRITZ. They are all in fairly good shape however they all really need a good sharping to them shave ready. If you had to choose one of them as the best which one would you choose.

I am partial to Pumas but I would inspect the edge of each razor under magnification. The cleanest one would be my choice. I would take a magic marker and coat the edge before applying it to the hone and then do a few strokes to see if the edge is making contact for the full length of the blade. This will determine how I need to manipulate the razor on the hone. Then it is a matter of honing it to shave ready using progressive grits and finally stropping and shaving. Read the stickys in the basic honing forum and best of luck.

Hi Robert, I thought I was gonna read you are from Scotland with a name like that.

Ancestory from Scotland per chance?

Robert,

Allow me to add my welcome to that of the others

I'm going to step out on a limb here and attempt (rather foolhardily) to rank your razors. This is a personal-bias ranking of the brands, you understand, not a ranking of your specific razors (that would require a personal inspection of said razors - something I think you mentioned will happen when Glen gets his hands on them from you).

Anyway, my tentative ranking would go: Puma, Hoff, Dovo, ceteris paribus.

In the spirit of full disclosure I must add that I personally do not like Dovos as much as other razors, so it's third ranking is probably a reflection of that.


But if you send them all to Glen, I'm sure they will all end up superb, and from what I know of Glen's work, un-rankable.

James.

Originally Posted by Robert Duncan

Foundlingofdollaar:
Your welcome made me feel good, thanks. Your information on my strops was very helpful. I have already started using the info. I take it that I am to use the green side on the paddle first then the red side and the same thing on the hanging strop using the linnen side first then the leather. Is there suppose to be something on the linnen, if so I have never put anything on it nor do I have anything to put on it. Await your reply. Again thanks. P.S. I did a little running around Austin when I was stationed at Fort Hood.

If the green and red sides of your paddle are indeed treated with pastes, don't use them every shave. It will help keep your edge sharper for longer and more polished, but over time it will round the bevel. Just use the pasted sides when you feel your razor is losing its peak shaving edge. When you do use a pasted side, be sure to wipe your blade clean as you don't want to contaminate your strop with an abrasive.

Before each shave, strop first on your fabric strop perhaps 20 passes (the fabric side does not need to be treated with anything), then follow with maybe 30 passes or so on the unpasted leather. The strop dressing is just a leather conditioner to keep your strop supple and prevent it from drying out. Apply occasionaly, rub in well, and allow to sit. It may help increase the strop's "draw" but is for the benefit of the leather, not the blade.

Keep asking questions and here you will keep getting answers!

P.S., I live in Austin but commute to Waco, so I "pass" Fort Hood quite a bit. Where are you at nowadays?

Originally Posted by poona

Hi Robert, I thought I was gonna read you are from Scotland with a name like that.

Ancestory from Scotland per chance?

Graham;

As far as I know I have no ancestory to Scotland. I have been to Europe several times but never got to Scotland. It would be nice to be related to Scotland and be able to wear a kilt. I like the materthe
way look. Maybe one day before I die I will get the chance to visit Scotland and England.

Originally Posted by foundlingofdollar

If the green and red sides of your paddle are indeed treated with pastes, don't use them every shave. It will help keep your edge sharper for longer and more polished, but over time it will round the bevel. Just use the pasted sides when you feel your razor is losing its peak shaving edge. When you do use a pasted side, be sure to wipe your blade clean as you don't want to contaminate your strop with an abrasive.

Before each shave, strop first on your fabric strop perhaps 20 passes (the fabric side does not need to be treated with anything), then follow with maybe 30 passes or so on the unpasted leather. The strop dressing is just a leather conditioner to keep your strop supple and prevent it from drying out. Apply occasionaly, rub in well, and allow to sit. It may help increase the strop's "draw" but is for the benefit of the leather, not the blade.

Keep asking questions and here you will keep getting answers!

P.S., I live in Austin but commute to Waco, so I "pass" Fort Hood quite a bit. Where are you at nowadays?

Foundlingofdollar;

I currently live in Fort Washington, Maryland about 15 miles from the nations capital. With you living in Austin and working in Waco you are driving about at least 60 miles plus a day one way. How do you stand it plus the cost of gas?